Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 806
LYSANDER CRANE

Lysander CRANE, who has been a resident of Harrison County since 1862, and is now a resident of Boyer Township, living about two miles south of Woodbine, will form the subject of this biographical sketch.

He was born April 16, 1835 in Huron County, Ohio, and remained with his parents until he was seventeen years of age, and then went to Rock county, Wis., where he worked on a farm one season, and then returned to the home of his father and remained until he came to Henry County, Ill., in 1855; he remained one year and in October, 1856, went to Olmstead County, Minn., and there remained until the spring of 1862 (?), then went to Jackson County, Minn., and lived until July of that year, and then came to this county.

He had scarcely arrived in Harrison County, when the rumor came that the Indians were killing people in the neighborhood he had just left in Minnesota. Their team being the last one that came down with the escort of soldiers, and the rumor above referred to was but the preface to one of the bloodiest tragedies recorded in the history of Indian warfare in Minnesota or Iowa, and is known as the "New Ulm Massacre."

The first night in Harrison County, our subject camped on Willow Creek, had but ten cents, and was just out of provisions, having only flour enough to mix with milk, which made a harmless, but not over hearty diet. They next day th reached Jeddo, where MRs. Crane's father lived.

Mr. CRANE settled near there, working by the day at what ever he could get to do, until winter, when he worked at blacksmithing for Mr. DOUGHERTY, but having visions of Eldorado of the West, Colorado Territory, Mr. CRANE and his family went to that country where he conducted a ranch on the old Military Road, by the waters of the South Platte, about one hundred miles northeast of Denver. In February, 1864, having his fill of extreme Western life, he returned to Harrison County with the same teams with which they went. He now bought eighty acres of land upon which he still lives. His land was unimproved and he bought an old house of Mr. DOUGHERTY, in Jeddo, and moved it to his place. This was a 14x20, one story structure, and served them until 1880, when he built his present frame residence, which is a two story building, 16x32 feet with a wing 14x24 feet, together with a kitchen 10x24 feet, one story high. His farm now consists of three hundred and seventy acres of as fine land as can be found in the far-famed Boyer Valley. He also has a stock farm in Nebraska of 320 acres. For serveral years he had nothing in the way of barns, except the typical Iowa stable, consisting of poles covered with hay, but in the fall of 1864 he bought an old store building and used that as a barn until 1884, when he tore that down and built a new barn 34x36 feet with 14 foot posts, and a basement the full size of the building.

Mr. CRANE was married to Miss Calfernia P. BELL, April 12, 1859 in Olmstead County, Minn., and by this marriage union six children have come to bless their home -- Loren H., born April 26, 1860; Jotham E., June 3, 1862; Sophronia E., May 11, 1867; Mary V., June 2, 1869; Herbert H., June 8, 1870; Ezra E., August 8, 1872. They have also reared Flora M. BELL, whose father and mother died, leaving her an orphan at the tender age of eighteen months. Her father was a brother of Mrs. CRANE, and this child was born May 22, 1864, in Harrison County, and married W. P. MIKESELL, and she now lives upon the same farm where she was born.

Jotham E., died by injuries received by being kicked by a horse, only surviving twenty-seven hours, his death occurring May 5, 1885; Mary V., died July 20, 1869; Loren H., was married to Miss Jessie F. MORRIS, and they are now in Vandalia, Jasper County, where he is engaged in general mercantile business. They were married in Woodbine, October 31, 1885: Sophronia H., was married to Charles L. ELLISON, January 30, 1887, and resides on a farm in Lincoln Township; Hervert H., graduated from Woodbine Normal in 1891, and is teaching, as is also Ezra E.

Mrs. CRANE was born Auguist 25, 1838, in Ashtabula County, Ohio, and in 1856, with her parents, went to Olmstead County, Minn., where she remained until he was married. She was a school teacher and taught at Jeddo in the fall of 1862, and there being no school funds on hand, she took her pay in provisions, such as was raised on the farm, except $1 which was paid to her in cash.

Her parents died in Harrison County, and her father, William BELL, iy may be said that he was born in Hartford, Conn., about 1791, and moved to Ohio at about the age of seventeen years, then to Minnesota, and from there to Harrison County, Iowa. He died April 6, 1867, and his wife, the mother of Mrs. CRANE, who was Martha WOLCOTT, of Ohio, died March 20, 1881, at the home of her daughter.

Politically, our subject is identified with the Republican party, and for six years was Postmaster at Woodbine. For ten years he was engaged in the mercantile business with his son, L. H. CRANE. This man and his family have had a checkered life, lived in many locations, seen much of thhe world, been visited by the Angel of Death, have always stood high in point of honor and integrity, and are now comfortably situated after these long years of toil and hardship. During his short stay in Colorado, he lived in quarters provided as follows: He dug holes in the ground, set four posts and covered the sides with poles and the roof with earth, which served very well in that climate; however no one ever spoke of it as being a marvel of architectural beauty. His business there was keeping freighter's teams, and he put up large quantities of hay, which sold at big prices. Mrs. CRANE made bread, pies and other eatables which she sold to the teamsters, and thus with their united efforts, gave them a sufficient sum to buy their first humble home in Harrison County.

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